Large aperture optical systems are advantageous in applications that require finer angular resolution (e.g., space telescopes). Large aperture optical systems, however, are challenging to manufacture and transport. To address these challenges, some optical systems are designed to be physically smaller for storage or delivery than when in use, to minimize the system's logistical footprint while maximizing the system performance by employing multiple optical elements (e.g., mirrors). To achieve more compact configurations, the optical elements may be physically moved closer to each other for storage than when in use. In the storage position, the elements do not need to be held in precise positions. Instead, the elements are placed for minimum volume and safekeeping. During use, the elements would be deployed to an operational configuration of the telescope and retained therein. In some instance, the system may be designed to allow multiple movements between the storage and use configurations.
These compact optical systems, however, introduce new challenges. In particular, the multiple optical elements need to be precisely aligned while in the operational configuration. This is required to allow the multiple independent “child” optical members to act as a single profile and mimic the desired “parent” surface when utilized. For example, the required accuracy to position each optical element relative to one another is on the order of a millionth of an inch.